The Washington critic., 1887-01-25
A SWAMP MYSTERY.


counteract the more destructive heat of
the civil war.
General Burnside had captured q
long reach of the seaboard, and had
established his headquarters at New
bern. No battles followed very soon
nor any storms to speak of, but the
army and the weather were fast getting
into high state of preparation for
either kind of event.
There were Union troops at Fort
Macon and Morchead City, not many
miles up the coast from Newbern, and
much pay was due them.
The money came down from the
North in July, and couple of pay
masters received orders to go at once
and deal 1t out to the men.
Before the war railway had been
constructed from Newbern to More
head city, its rails were still there, but
all its rolling stock with the exception
of one hand car had gone into the in
terror of the State. The viaduct was
just wide enough TO carry the rails,
and much of its course was through n
swamp whose dense bushes were now
luXurian,ly reaching out rs If they
meant TO capture the track before the
end of the season.
The quartermaster placed his one
hand car at the disposal OF the pay.
masters. lie did so with the pleasant
information that on the previous even
ing the busy Confederates had made u
raid and had swept away all the pickets
posted along the line of the railway.
New pickets had been posted, he told
them, and their proposed trip would
be reasonably safe.
THAT is, he said, 81 guess you're
safe from any Confeds, but If you
don't get through before dark I'd ad-
wise you to be pretty prompt about
answering any hail. The boysll all
be awake this time. They won't be
slow about taking care of themselves
in the dark. Not man of 'em wants
to go to Wilmington just now, nor to
Andersonvllle, neither"
That warning made the paymaster
shake his head, and grow in import
ance before the hand-car set out, for 1t
was plain enough that II would be dark
before the trip could be half made.
Precisely how dark 1t would be, or
why, was not as yet imagined by any
body.
There were nine men huddled on
that hand car when 1t went. A SER
geant and four soldiers were its motive
power, guard and garrison. The
writer of this story was there alto
gether as an adventurer. Two pay.
masters, with the rank of major, and
one clerk were in charge of black
box containing over $780, 900 in green.
backs, to be scattered among the vol.
untecrs on the morrow.
The air grew more and more close
and sultry, and just before night sort
of haze began to rise over the eastern
horizon.
That's 1t, Major" said the SER
geant to one of the paymasters.
Were going to hear from Cape Hat.
teras.'
Storm coming2"
fright along. Twon't take 1t long
TO come"
He was correct as to the time re
quired by Cape lIatteras, or whatever
was managing that storm. The sky
rapidly grew black as ink, and dark
ness came with but moderate reference
to the departing sun.
Just before entering the deuser
thickets of the swamp, n picket was
reached, and the officer in charge re-
peated the warning of the quarter
master.
"Be ready to answer right away.
It'll be pitch dark, and some of the
boys are nervous after last nights work.
They'll shoot quick"
ia tI,a l,,N t.
paymaster who replied;
well, now, captain, we didn't say
so, but we thought the trip would be
safer by night than by day. The men
have got to have the money"
Hope the rebs won't get it, then.
Put her through, sergeant. but look
sharp; the storms most got here" He
also was correct about the weather. In
ten minutes more such storm had ar
rived as was credit to Cape Hattcra3
and the whole seacoast of North Caro-
lima. On rolled the hand-car, Its crouch.
ing passengers drenched with rain that
fell in streams rather than drops. The
lightning flashed almost incessantly
and the thunder seemed TO be rolling
around all over the swamp. Except
where a streak of lightning cleft it, the
deakness was like solid wall and there
was neither headlight nor hand lantern
provided for that hand car.
Worst storm ever saw" remarked
the sergeant, and one of the brace of
men who were acting as motive power
gruniod back at him. "Its the worst
kind of storm, but you can't see it.
IL was n Just correction of the state
la lu hn l,,t at tln
moment hOarse, deep, all but sepul-
chral voice from among the bushes and
blackness at the right of the track com.
manded:
"IIOlu'
"Stop herl Quick, boys" exclaimed
the sergeant, and as the men changed
Instantly from motive power to brakes,
he sprang from the car into water
above his knees and wOded forward to
answer the hail and give the counter
sign.
1t was all in vain. Down came a
double deluge of rain and thicker
darkness. Then vlvidness of blue
electricity danced through the drip.
ping bushes, and a great roar of
thunder followed it, as II in search of
the hidden picket" Neither rain,
nor lightning nor thunder, nor the
anxious quesllonings OF the sergeant
discovered him.
There he was, or must have been,
dead or alive, for he had said "halt,
but that was apparently all he had to
say
The sergeant splashed his way back
TO the hand car, using very strong Ian
guage, and 1t was decided to go
forward
Were just as likely to be fired
into, first thing remarked the pay
masters clerk, and they'd hit some of
l us. sure r